Like Snow
by MsLanna
Summary: Just a bit of holiday fluff, with Anakin, Ahsoka and Rex, snowballs and wampas.


A story I wrote for a fic-gift exchange on my home boards.

**Their Request is:**  
I would like a story in Saga featuring:

1. A snowball fight  
2. A wampa attack  
3. Hot chocolate

I do not want: any deaths.

Characters: Captain Rex, Ahsoka Tano, and Anakin Skywalker.

* * *

Like Snow

_Now _this_ was the perfect terrain to employ clone troopers_, Ahsoka decided. She stared down at the white plains that seemed to go on forever and she could see absolutely nothing. A white wasteland, that met with a slightly grey sky in the distance, harsh, sharp, still. She raised the binoculars to her eyes again. Immediately, the shapes of the troopers showed up, their armour marked with a colour invisible to most species in the galaxy.

It was just an exercise, there was nothing on Hoth worth capturing. They had found a pirate base and Master Skywalker had decided to capture it as an exercise. It was doubtful that anybody was in the buildings at all. There were no traces in the snow, no smoke curling from any of the chimneys. But it was better than fighting each other, testing the new cold weather gear without actually being able to test it.

"There's nobody there," she said, lifting the binoculars to her eyes and dropping them again rapidly, enjoying the change of views.

"You don't know that," Anakin replied. "They could just be hiding very, very well."

"Pfft," the young Togruta snorted. "Then they didn't move for days, Master. Nobody does that." She looked up at him just in time to catch a fleeting grin.

"Wait until you meet the administration of the Republic, Padawan. They can, and they do; I assure you." He winked before he returned his attention back to the white expanse below them.

Ahsoka made a point of rolling her eyes, though Anakin could not see it. Yes, this was a nice change, but it war fragging cold. Even through her heavy cloak and thick gloves, she could feel the cold trying to get to her bones.

"Use the Force," Anakin said without looking at her. "It helps."

"Yes, Master."

If only his advice came with instructions. Master Skywalker was a supporter of learning by doing. The young Togruta tried to wrap the Force around her like a shield against the cold. It did not work.

"General Skywalker," Rex' voice came over the comm. "Everything is ready, we are awaiting your command. There are footprints, but not from humans, impossible to tell how old, too, but the infrared camera picks up nothing."

"Copy, Rex," Anakin replied, looking at Ahsoka. "Ready?"

She nodded, eager to finally get started. "So, why are we still up here, when the attack will be down there?", she wanted to know.

"Because," a mischievous grin stole to Anakins lips, "while they are down there storming an empty base, we can prepare for an unexpected ambush in our own sweet time."

"We'll ambush them?" The idea appealed to Ahsoka who always liked a challenge. "How, and how do we manage not getting ourselves killed?"

"Race you to the ground, and if you beat me, I'll tell you!" Before she could answer, Anakin was over the ledge, half running, half sliding towards the base.

"Oh-!" Without thinking Ahsoka ran after him, trying to gain ground. But instead the distance grew, no matter how hard she tried. She was about to curse when she realised that Master Skywalker had tot ell her anyway. Laughing she picked up a hand of snow and threw it in his direction. When she caught up with him again, she was slightly out of breath but exhilarated. She picked up another hand of snow and threw it into his face.

Anakin pushed the snow away with the Force. "Wrong target, Padawan." He pointed his thumb at the clone troopers, who had blown up the doors and were methodically searching the base. "Those are victims."

"We shower them with snowballs?" Ahsoka's eyes sparkled.

"And don't get shot," her Master replied. "Do you think, you can do that?"

"Yes, Master."

"First we need to stock up." With a flick of his hand, Skywalker floated some snow before her eyes. As he closed his fist it turned into a firm ball. "Your turn."

Ahsoka concentrated on the snow at her feet. She willed it to rise and from a ball, but that was a lot more difficult than she had imagined. Once she got the white mass to float, it ran apart as soon as she tried to form it in the air. It did not improve her mood any that she could see Anakin form balls with the Force from the corner of her eyes as if it was nothing.

Biting her lip, she focussed on the snow still in the air and tried to make it hold together. A small amount really clung, but when she dropped it to the ground it fell apart again. Frustrated she kicked at the snow.

"You are trying to hard," Anakin said, softly. "You cannot command the Force unless you let it command you. At least, that is what Master Yoda says." He winked and levitated a snowball above his open palm. "What I tried to show you is how using the Force is not always the best alternative. Use your head and hands before resorting to the Force, Ahsoka. This would be good practice for telekinesis but right now, real snowballs are more important."

Ahsoka nodded. "Head and hands, use the Force when necessary. Understood." She began to form snowballs with her hands which was a lot faster and more effective than struggling with the Force. With a short time, a pyramid of missiles grew up before her.

"Follow me, and levitate those," Skywalker told her and set off towards the entrance of the base.

"All clear," Rex reported as if on cue. "There are marks of recent use, but nothing else. Zeer and Nax are checking on them, Yan is placing the charges on the shed. Any orders?"

"No, go ahead," Skywalker replied, throwing a side glance at his padawan.

Ahsoka grinned up at him, carefully floating her ammunition within reach. "Ready, when you are."

They snuck around the doors glancing over a hall brimming with clones. The Togruta could feel the anticipation coming from her Master; dangerous pranks were the best of all. Just as Captain REx turned around, she could feel the excitement from her Master change. She needed no other signal. Aiming at the armoured figure before her, she threw.

Rex was fast. Without hesitating, he drew his blaster and pulverised the snowball as he dove for cover. Ahsoka couldn't help laughing while she aimed at two more troopers before ducking behind an upturned table for cover. Red blaster bolts shot through the room, and she could hear Master Skywalker laugh as well. She could not see anybody as she dared to glance over the table. But her senses told her where the troopers hid. She moved two snowballs over the ground slowly and threw one in the general directory of Coric. As expected her fired at the snow, and while he did, Ahsoka yanked the other two snowballs up, smashing them against his visor.

"You are not fighting fair," Coric complained, throwing a badly aimed fist of snow back at them.

"What would you have us do?" Master Skywalker called back, showering his troops with snowballs, thrown and guided with the Force.

"No using the Force," Rex suggested, aiming a white missile at his general.

Getting up, Anakin caught it with one hand. "And then what?"

Helmets appeared behind all kinds of cover, followed by clones, most of them weighing snowballs in their hands speculatingly. "Then we'll see who wins the fight," Rex replied. "You - or us."

Ahsoka crept up to her Master, the remaining snowballs in tow.

Anakin grinned down to her. "What do you think?", he asked.

She looked around. "It's just one company," she replied, a feral smile on her lips. "And we're two. It's not fair, but it was not our idea."

"Right you are," Anakin chuckled. "Let's show them. Force or not."

"Head and hands," Ahsoka said, repeating her lesson. "We're unstoppable."

"You heard the girl," Skywalker announced. "Bring it on!"

The air was suddenly full of snow shooting in all directions. Ahsoka did her best to dodge the white bullets while still throwing back at the clones. She managed to hit Yan straight into his visor, but in return Rex struck her left arm. It was difficult not to automatically block the incoming snowballs with the Force.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see Anakin throwing snowballs in rapid succession. She was sure he did use the Force to enhance his movements, but feeling another snowball hitting her shoulder she decided not to care and instead relish in the thudding of snow on armour.

Suddenly he danger sense flared up, but Anakin had already grabbed her around the waist and pushed her behind himself. A last snowball flew over their heads and hit a surprised wampa in the snout. It howled and charged right into a volley of blaster bolts as the clones changed back to real fighting without missing a beat.

"Back doors!" Anakin ordered.

"I'll make one," Zeer sounded almost happy. "Let's turn the shed into fireworks as a distraction."

"Good thinking," Skywalker said grimly determined.

Coric had snuck to the doors and barred them while they had been talking. "Should keep them for a bit," he commented looking at his handiwork.

Anakin frowned in concentration. "There's only a dozen of them anyway," he said then.

"That's no problem," Rex assured him. "They do show up on the infrared."

Skywalker nodded. "Let's get going then."

The ground shook as the shed exploded. Zeer used the noise to blow a back door into the wall behind them. Warily they filed out. Ahsoka wished for a white cloak instead of her brown Jedi gear. The clones blended perfectly into the background, whereas she and her Master stood out like sore thumbs. As they fanned out, Ahsoka decided to make sure their back exit would be of no use to the attackers.

Taking the rear, she scanned the wall for the best places to cut it so it would cave in. A few quick slashes with her lightsaber collapsed the wall as planned, but a moment too late. Ahsoka looked up at the monster towering over her. It was huge and she could have smacked herself for overlooking it. They blended into the white just as well as the clones did. She swallowed, her hand hovering over her saber. Could she hope to defeat this beast? She looked it up and down, trying to gauge its strength. Would she be able to run?

Her eyes locked with the black orbs of the wampa as she stood completely still, her mind racing. She could not think of anything sensible to do, but as long as they both stood unmoving, she would be alive. Suddenly the beast moved half a step forward, its right arm slightly raised. Ahsoka took a step backwards, falling into a defensive stance. When the wampa returned into its original pose, the Togruta hesitatingly followed suit.

Then she mirrored the movement, taking half a step forward, her right arm raised slightly. The wampa moved half a step back. the both fell back into their wary stances, their eyes never breaking the contact. What was this? A game? Slowly she lifted her hands, turned the palm outwards and waved them before the huge beasts face. The wampa reacted, by following suit. Ahsoka almost laughed as she dropped her hands back to her sides, leaving the next move to the huge animal.

The wampa seemed to consider her for a long moment, then it balled its huge paws into fists raising them towards the padawan who mirrored the movement until their knuckles touched. Ahsoka held her breath, felling the Force around her, thick enough to slice with her saber. "Oh, wow."

The wampa took a step back, breaking the contact, its gaze burning right through the young Togruta. Then it let out an ululating howl and vanished in a flurry of white. Ahsoka let out a breath she hadn't noticed holding. Her whole body tingled, and as she closed here eyes to inhale deeply, she became aware of the presences converging onto her position. Bright white, glowing, and all the same. The 501st had arrived.

She reached out with the Force, and it seemed to be so easy. Only, the white shapes were not all the same. they were similar in an almost uncanny way, but not two were the same. A bit like - she crinkled her forehead in concentration - snowflakes. Those were basically six-armed stars, and still not the same. Concentrating more, she could feel Rex approaching from behind, all bold strokes and brighter than any other presence. Yan was complicated, filigree nestled between the strong outline; Coric, was as if something had broken away the delicate parts. And in the distance she could feel Master Skywalker, blazing in a harsh yellow like a supernova.

"Are you okay, little one?"

Rex' voice. Almost like millions, but not quite. He was his very own person, there was nobody like him. A grin split Ahsoka's face as she turned around to look at the clone captain. "Yes, I am."

He looked down at her, tilting his head doubtfully. "Are you sure?"

"I -," she didn't know how to explain it. "I just had a vision about snow," she finally said.

"Fitting place to do that," Rex commented glancing around. "General Skywalker has defeated the last of the wampas."

"I know," Ahsoka said, still grinning broadly. "Let's get the rest of our avalanche and go home for a cup of hot chocolate."

She could feel the concerned look of Rex even as he nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

She wanted to explain to him, because - just because. But that would have to wait until the liquid lucidity had ebbed off completely and there was no trace of afterglow left to bask in. And the prospect of talking with him over a cup of hot chocolate had its own appeal. Ahsoka kicked up the snow and almost hummed to herself as she followed Rex.


End file.
